Council wants to raise fines for letting vacant homes fall into disrepair

By Matthew K. Roy
Staff writer

October 09, 2008 05:09 am

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PEABODY — Building Commissioner Kevin Goggin said a $25-a-day fine doesn't exactly strike fear in banks that have ignored the vacant homes they own.

Thirty-six homes in Peabody are owned by either a bank or mortgage company. In some cases, the vacant properties, all foreclosures, have deteriorated into eyesores that threaten the value of surrounding homes.

Under the terms of Peabody's vacant property ordinance, the building inspector can fine a property owner who doesn't satisfy the city's standards for maintenance. Failure to comply within 14 days of being cited for a violation results in a $25-a-day fine. If an owner then doesn't comply after seven days, he is subject to a $50-a-day fine.

At a meeting with city councilors on Tuesday, Goggin said a harsher fine would help put some teeth in the ordinance. Councilors, who initiated a review of the ordinance, agreed. The Legal Affairs Committee and then the council as a whole unanimously endorsed increasing the initial fine from $25 to $100 and the subsequent fine from $50 to $300 a day. A second vote is needed for the new fines to take effect.

Councilor Anne Manning highlighted the challenge of getting beyond automated telephone response systems and actually reaching people at the banks, many of which are out of state, that own homes in Peabody.

"I would imagine that would be a difficult maze to get through," she said.

"It's been difficult," Goggin said. It involves tapping records in the city's assessors' office and information from the Registry of Deeds to get useful contact information.

The city in its ordinance defines proper upkeep in the following ways: Exterior walls need to be free from holes, breaks and damage. All structures, signs, walls and fences must be free from graffiti, carvings or markings. Properties should be maintained and free from overgrown vegetation. The exterior should be free of garbage and junked or abandoned motor vehicles.

City Clerk Tim Spanos said the city will advertise the proposed change for a period of 10 days and the council will likely vote to adopt it at a meeting later this month or early next month.